Claimed
by OliviaAR99
Summary: At seventeen years old, Rin lives on her own in the village of Inuyasha. After a rainy, sleepless night, she finally manages to slip into her dreams, and discovers that her longing to return to the care of her Lord Sesshomaru isn't ALL that she's been wanting from him.
1. Claimed Part 1

" **Claimed"**

Rain hammered against the roof, uncaring if it kept those who slept beneath wood and straw awake. Anyone unfortunate enough to own a metal roof had it ten times worse since the sound magnified. To Rin, her metal roof echoed louder than the storm's rolling thunder clouds. Who was it that told her that owning such a thing could lull her to sleep during a rainy night? Oh, yes, that's right! _Kagome!_

Rin shimmied further into her quilts as the pitter patter of water against tin turned into what sounded like a water fall above her head. According to several accounts from various beings from Kagome's future time period, Rin would have been envied since it was a wildly held belief that metal roofs were considered a luxury. By this point, she was beginning to think she was the recipient of a well thought out prank. Tomorrow, she would seek out Kagome's husband to request that he remove the offending piece of scrap. _Wood seemed a much quieter option._

Rin rolled onto her left side and glanced at the fancy pink clock next to her pillow, the one that Kagome had given her. According to the glow, it was 4:43 in the morning and she had not slept one wink since she had gone to bed seven hours ago. That had been when the rains started, and it has yet to let up. Too annoyed to rest, she resigned the chore of sleep and pulled herself free from the warmth of her blankets.

There had been a small fire burning in the center of her home, but it had been reduced to embers during the night. Without a thought, she grabbed some kindling from the far corner and dropped it against the smoldering coals, blowing puffs of breathe into its direction until weak flames danced against the twigs and dried leaves. Rin rubbed her hands together to combat the chill in the air until the fire grew big enough to thaw her frozen digits. Because of the weather, the air inside and outside had grown cold and it was impossible to retain heat without a constant fire.

She sighed once, looked about the room, and sighed again. There wasn't much to do in the form of chores, nor did she feel like reading from her rather generous collection of texts from Kagome's time. No herbs had to be crushed or stored, and it was too early to tend to the meager livestock that belonged to Kaede, not to mention the fact that the weather prevented her from enjoying an early morning stroll. For the time being, it seemed that Rin was doomed to sleepy boredom until the sky cleared.

After a moment's thought, she decided to daydream. She might not be able to sleep, but nothing was stopping her from firing up her imagination.

She imagined a time long since past. A time that held her first memories of life and filled her with such comfort that she felt her heart glow at the remembrance of her mother's voice. There was no face to recall, nor exact words, but Rin felt safe in the memory. These thoughts were coupled with the image of the village she had been born into. Her brothers took care of the family cattle while their father hunted and carried on about his business. Despite these images, their deaths could not be conjured. For some odd reason, she always failed at remembering how her family had died. Perhaps those memories were too horrific and she had somehow managed to erase them?

Rin shook her head and dared to attempt another course. Now she was remembering the day she came upon her Lord Sesshomaru. He had been wounded and weak, red eyed and dangerous, but he didn't scare her, not that he hadn't tried to do so. She found him on accident and was immediately intrigued by his condition. Demons had not been a rare occurrence, so her fear was slight after Sesshomaru had growled at her.

Sesshomaru's appearance then had changed the course of her life, which was what ultimately landed her in the village of Inuyasha. Rin had spent so much time in the presence of Lord Sesshomaru and Master Jaken that it had become more and more difficult to interact with humans as time had gone by. Granted, she managed to acclimatize herself with her species during a select few occasions, 'few' being the operative word, but nothing ever came of it until she had developed a fondness for Kagome's group. She guessed that Lord Sesshomaru had no real choice but to leave her in the care of humans, though she had no doubt that the decision had been justified. Rin had of course met death on two separate occasions while she had roamed the countryside with the demon lord, his vassal, and Ah-Un. What conclusion could be reached other than that which was determined by her Lord? Probably a few, but she wasn't foolish enough to challenge him on her own.

Rin sighed, overwhelmed by a sense of loneliness that plagued her whenever she was reminded that she was no longer in Lord Sesshomaru's care. It had been several years since she had spent more than a day in his presence. Of course he came to visit every now and then, but it was never enough for her. She wanted so very badly to rejoin him in his travels, and since there was no threat from Naraku anymore, she didn't see why she couldn't. Oh well. _Lord Sesshomaru must have his reasons,_ she surmised.

With another sigh, Rin decided to give sleep just one more try before the light of day painted the black sky grey. Just as her head hit the pillow, the rain let up and she finally drifted off into a peaceful slumber.

...

 _Beneath the moon, he looked like a specter, bathed in pale mist and silver bursts of bright light. Rin studied him as he traveled through the wheat field, oblivious to her presence. Lord Sesshomaru was as clear in the night as he was in the light of day, towering in height and severe in presence. From her vantage point behind the trees, Rin could make out every detail of his dress, every shade of color in his clothing, and every sharp edge of his beautiful face. Nothing had changed in the years she had known him. If he aged, it was much slower a process than in humans. It almost made Rin weep knowing that one day she would be dead due to age, while her most treasured companion lived on and forgot that she ever existed._

 _Curling up into herself, Rin slid back into her hiding place and hugged her middle and closed her eyes to erase Sesshomaru's image from her thoughts. The more she thought of him, she sadder she became. What could she do? Run to him and demand to be remembered? Refuse to leave his presence ever again and follow him until she met her death as an old woman? Stamp her feet in rejection of time and demand to live forever? All of those things were impossible for a weak human like her. She would just look absurdly foolish and be branded as a silly girl for the rest of her living days._

 _She opened her eyes and glared at the trunk of an adjacent tree in irritation. "I am just a silly girl," she whispered._

 _After a few minutes of repeating the phrase, Rin stood and resumed her post looking out into the wheat field. Lord Sesshomaru was still there. Whenever he walked, he always appeared to be floating above the ground. It was almost impossible to hear the impact of his feet stepping into the earth, and he moved with such grace that he might as well have been flying. By this point, he was already halfway through the area, his destination heading adjacent to the village of his half brother, Inuyasha._

 _Rin's disappointment was obvious. Judging by his movements, Sesshomaru had no intention of paying her a visit, though she couldn't think of a reason why this stung her so badly. Yes, it was disappointing to not see him as much as she desired, but seeing for herself that he was near but uninterested in checking in on her made her cast her eyes to the ground in despair. How many times had he done this? How many times had he traveled near her but didn't stop?_

 _She shook her head, bothered by the childishness of her thoughts. It wasn't as though she were the center of his world. It was wrong of her to think that that was the case, and she punished herself with the guilt until she couldn't stand it any longer. Instead of dwelling on it, she looked back up to follow Sesshomaru with her eyes until he vanished from sight into the cover of the forest. He really was a beautiful sight to behold, and no matter how many days she had spent with him, she never grew tired of holding him in her eyes. During the times where she didn't get to see him, she visualized him in perfect detail and often daydreamed her days away in the process._

 _The only thing she couldn't conjure using her imagination was the velvet smoothness of his voice. It wasn't like she couldn't remember things he had said, but she just couldn't imagine every detail of his words and how warm her insides got whenever she actually heard him speaking. The only way for her to truly experience it again was when she was privileged enough to be visited by him. Each time that happened, her face heated and her heart skipped. No matter what he had said, she reacted in baffling ways and embarrassment quickly set in, but Lord Sesshomaru rarely acknowledged it. He was never fazed, and treated her as he always had before, calm and indifferent._

 _Shaking her head, she turned and stalked off into the forest to return home._

 _Ahead of her, shafts of moonlight stabbed through the trees and painted the earth in silver patches. It was easy enough to navigate as she had done so hundreds of times before and there was no threat of demons as far as she could tell. Within minutes, clear fields were visible through the trees, telling her that she was not far from home._

 _Before she reached the break in the forest, a snap of twigs off to her left prompted a knee jerk reaction. She ripped a hidden dagger she carried from a sheath that was strapped to her thigh and held it firm in front of her. "Who goes the—!" She was cut off by a pale hand covering her mouth and a hard body fusing to her back. Startled, she wiggled against her attacker to free at least one of her arms but both were pinned above the elbows and she could only swing her dagger at empty air. Thinking quickly, she maneuvered her weapon and forced her hand down at what she hoped was the gut of her attacker. The hand covering her mouth fell and skilled fingers coiled around her wrist, halting the dagger less than a millimeter from penetrating flesh. Whoever it was behind her, they were stronger than she had anticipated. The fingers that held her arm tightened and squeezed until she thought her wrist would break, forcing her hand to release her weapon and causing her to grunt in pain._

 _She wasn't about to go down so easily. For the moment, her only options were to either give up, or use her head. Refusing to admit defeat, she chose the latter and forced her skull back into what had to be an armored chest plate because she only managed to knock herself senseless. "Ugh!" White sparks danced in her vision and she felt the ground move itself beneath her feet, but she managed to stay conscious._

 _What could only be the head of her assailant came down behind her and rested their chin against her right shoulder. Rin's eyes clamped shut as hot breath bathed her ear. "Rin, that's enough." Unthinking, she lurched forward against the arms of Lord Sesshomaru and vibrated with terror as he tightened his grip. "I said that's enough!"_

 _"My Lord!" She squeaked unintentionally. Everything in her screamed for her to stay perfectly still, but she struggled regardless. Her very skin came alive in her Lord's hold and it made it impossible for her to give in. Instead, she yanked at her wrist and tried her hand at escape by shimmying downward to outwit Sesshomaru's left arm. She didn't know why she did it. She didn't know why she thought she could get away with it, but it soon became apparent that she had failed when she felt his front push against her back and found herself braced against the thick base of a tree. "Lord Sesshomaru!" She was closed in from all sides now, though the arm around her middle disappeared. It didn't take long to figure out where it had gone as he took hold of both of her wrists and forced her hands flat into tree bark._

 _Sesshomaru held her there for a few seconds before he placed both of her wrists into one hand, held them pinned above her head and parted the curtain of her hair out of the way so that he could see her right neck and shoulder. Rin didn't bother to wonder what he was doing. She already knew and wasn't about to let it happen. She raised her eyes to the tree tops, commended her soul to the gods for strength and shoved herself away from the tree. Her back was forced into Sesshomaru's armor but he didn't move an inch. "My Lord, stop!" She pleaded frantically. Rin twisted her whole body and clenched her exposed neck and shoulder together to protect it, all the while fighting against the strength of his hands around hers._

 _Lord Sesshomaru's right arm circled her waist, traveled up, and his hand wrapped around her throat. He didn't cut off her air by squeezing, but he wasn't gentle either. This hand was also holding onto the bottom of her jaw. He controlled where her head moved and forced her to show her throat. The hand that held her arms had a bruising grip, making her wince, but she fought the sounds that rose in her throat. She knew she could scream if she wanted. It would most certainly get the attention of the villagers nearby, but even Inuyasha was incapable of reaching her location in time to stop what was undoubtedly about to happen. And even if she did scream, what was to stop Lord Sesshomaru from wrapping his long, pale fingers around her throat to cut her off, or from clamping his hand over her mouth again? The answer, in short, was nothing, and he did the latter without having given her the chance to try to scream._

 _Rin jerked against him as the tickle of parting hair teased her shoulder again and the deep vibration of Sesshomaru's growl shook her to the bone. Her protests were muffled beneath his hand and she whimpered with fear when the unmistakable touch of lips at her throat warned her of what was to come. A kiss, light as a feather…another kiss, traveling up, traveling down, slow and deliberate, hot and agonizing. Without thinking, her head fell back against Sesshomaru's left shoulder, his hand ever present against her mouth, and she groaned as the first wave of gooseflesh puckered her flesh alarmingly once he found the right spot to taste with his tongue. That was when the first scrape of a fang renewed her energy._

 _'NO!' She tried to shout, but all that was heard was "OOGHMM!" Her fists clenched and her body went rigid before she squirmed with everything she had. She couldn't let him do it! She couldn't let him claim her! Lord Sesshomaru wasn't in his right mind! He couldn't possibly be doing what he was doing! Not to her! Not—like this…_

 _Rin blushed furiously despite herself. She had just admitted that she actually might want this and it scared the hell out of her! So what could she do but fight harder to prevent it? But what could Sesshomaru do except what he had intended?_

 _Sesshomaru nuzzled his way back against the skin of her throat and Rin felt the sharp edge of two fangs grow and tease her flesh. From above, he replaced his left hand with his right around her wrists and used his left to weave his fingers into the black hair at the base of her skull, all while leaving her mouth free. Without warning, he clenched her hair in his fist and forced her head sideways, giving him better access and causing Rin to cry out in surprise. "Lord Sesshomaru! Please! St—AH!" The pain was intense as two razor sharp fangs plunged deeply into her throat._

 _Rin's mouth hung open in a silent scream after the initial shock wore off, but she groaned and whimpered as the poison of his essence injected from his mouth into her body. The heat of his venom boiled her blood and she writhed in tortured silence, begging to be released but knowing full well that she would never escape him now._

 _Her hands were soon released, followed by her hair, but fangs remained embedded. Strong arms circled her middle but Rin didn't let him have the chance to trap her again. She threw an arm up and reached back behind them, behind Sesshomaru's head and returned the favor, grabbed as much of his silver hair as she could and yanked._

 _"OH!"_

 _Sesshomaru's fangs withdrew from her throat, but Rin had not anticipated that that was what he probably wanted in the first place. She felt cold air bathe the bite mark, but hot air kissed the inside of her right wrist. When she reached to grab his hair, it gave him direct access to the tender flesh of her arm and his mouth went straight for it. Yet again, he penetrated her flesh deeply with his fangs and injected her soul with his poison. One of his hands came up and held her in place but the other allowed her to turn and face him. What she saw scorched her body from the inside out._

 _His eyes were glowing deep and dark, a wild sea of honey surrounded by blood and chaos. His lips were stained with her blood and his venomm and they hid the evidence of his fangs buried in her skin._

 _Rin was panting by the time his other arm reached for her again, this time pulling her forward. He put her back against the base of the tree, pinning her with the weight of his body, and only then did he withdraw from her wrist. Blood dripped down into the curve of her elbow from the bite, while what was left of her blood streaked down from the corner of Sesshomaru's mouth. His tongue came out to catch the escaping drops, the sight of which weakened Rin's knees. Quickly, she focused her gaze on anywhere other than his face and fought the heat rising to her cheeks._

 _The kimono she wore wasn't nearly thick enough to contain the heat she was emitting from this encounter. If Lord Sesshomaru hadn't felt it before, she was sure that he was able to now. She closed her eyes and breathed heavily, unsure of what to do or say, or if she could do either without Sesshomaru's leave to do so._

 _Her hands lifted and came to rest against the armor of his chest, not sure if she wanted to push him away or if she needed just to brace herself. Her body trembled, no doubt from shock, but also from the poison in her blood. With movement, every cell of her being was invaded by poison and she forced herself to keep still, preventing it from driving her into unconsciousness. It wasn't painful, but she had nothing to compare it to and the feeling was overwhelming. It weakened her considerably, but it energized her in a strange sort of way. "Why?" She breathed aloud, not expecting an answer._

 _Sesshomaru didn't give her one. Instead, she felt one of his hands trace the delicate skin of her jaw, forcing Rin to lift her head but not enough to make her look at him. Instead she shut her eyes tight and swallowed hard. In a rustle of fabric, a burning hot tongue licked clean the blood from the crook of her elbow and traced up and back over the bloodied bite at her wrist. Rin forced her head back to rest against the tree trunk, shaking as though she were being tasted by electricity. "Lord Sesshomaru…" she whispered, unable to say anything else._

 _She was scared. No other word existed that was fit to describe how she felt when she peeled open her eyelids and found herself captured by her Lord's fiery stare. She tried to look away, but his command left her unable to do so. "Don't turn your gaze from me."_

 _She did as she was told and watched him inch closer to her face, his eyes still severe and glowing. "M-my Lord, I—!"_

 _"You know what I've done." He breathed. "It's written all over your face, Rin."_

 _Rin felt herself on the verge of tears. "Yes, I know, but—"_

 _"You know what it means!" Sesshomaru growled as he paused before her face. "I have laid claim on you." He moved to grip her wrists, forcing her arms upward and giving him the chance to press his entire body against her._

 _Rin grabbed the white fabric of his kimono and held onto it for dear life, desperate to cling to some semblance of reality. "I don't deserve that, my Lord!" She used what was left of her strength to move him backward and she growled at him. "I don't deserve you!" Her strength failed her and she was back against the tree, trapped and at his mercy._

 _Sesshomaru snarled, and then managed to get directly into her face. "If you truly believed that, then my poison should have killed you."_

 _Rin's mouth popped open and was immediately taken by the demon in front of her. She tasted her own blood at first, metallic and lingering, and then a flavor she had never known before that was all Sesshomaru._

 _His mouth slanted to control her lips and forced them apart again and again, punishing and unrelenting, all while his gaze held her, daring her to look away from him. He almost wished she would disobey him. He wanted very much to punish her further._

 _Rin struggled to breathe as Sesshomaru's kiss stole the air from her lungs. He was going to take her one way or another, that much was obvious, but she couldn't let it happen. She needed to free herself and run! She needed to get as far away from him as possible, but there was no demon or human on Earth who could help her escape him. Lord Sesshomaru had claimed her and she was beyond saving if she couldn't make him see reason. She had to try! She wasn't worthy of him! She had to make him understand that before things went so far that he couldn't change his mind!_

 _With one last look in his eyes, Rin closed hers and did the only thing in her power that she could do. She kissed him back, and kissed him back_ _ **hard.**_ _So hard in fact that Sesshomaru was moved back in surprise and his grip on her wrists weakened._

 _Wrenching herself free, Rin formed a fist and right hooked Lord Sesshomaru in the jaw hard enough to stun him and she began to run. Her goal was to lead him away from the village, and she would double back once she lost him in the forest and seek out Kagome and Inuyasha for help. They could offer her very little protection, but she only needed enough time to figure out how to explain why she was the wrong woman to be mated with Sesshomaru._

 _How could he do that? How could he claim her so forcefully, and what possessed him to do it? She was downwind of him when she saw him in the wheat field! Was it possible that he was able to catch her scent so far away? Had she smelled different when he caught her? What made him do it?_

 _Rin's feet hammered into the ground and she flew through the forest. She had to get away! She had to lose him!_

 _A sound she had only ever heard in battle erupted just behind her from where she left Sesshomaru, making her blood run cold. Dodging tree after tree, she nearly tripped on a root and slammed sideways into and trunk, knocking herself backward onto the ground. Scrambling to her feet, she ran again, changing direction and leading herself deeper into the protection of the forest. Her lungs were screaming but she refused to let up, determined to put distance between herself and her new mate._

 _Rin blushed furiously and berated herself for even imagining it to be a possibility. She had to pick up the pace if she wanted to hide, or else…_

 _Being human, she didn't have to run long before she spotted a white blur in her periphery. She knew very well what it was, who it was, but she ran anyway. It was quickly dawning on her that the plan she so hastily came up with was going to cost her dearly and she was going to lose, but pointless as it was, she kept running._

 _Rin couldn't hear him pursuing her, but she saw him well enough. He was coming closer, expertly dodging trees and running parallel at a pace so at ease that she hated him for it. Her body was beginning to give in to fatigue, but Lord Sesshomaru didn't even look winded. She had to do something drastic, or else she was going to get tackled._

 _Without thinking, she skidded to a halt and ran directly at him, ducking out of his reach. She had been right; he was caught off guard and missed the chance to grab her. This only gave Rin a few seconds advantage before she was followed again. This time, he was right on her heels. She dived to the right before Sesshomaru's arms could reach her and she rolled, barely missing a tree trunk before she was on her feet again and weaving her way through a patch of thick forest. Because of the new location, she couldn't run, but she climbed her way through the narrow spaces with ease since she was so thin. If she had calculated right, Sesshomaru's armor would prevent him from following and she'd be free to escape._

 _The flaw in that logic met her halfway through the obstacles when she heard what sounded like razors slashing through thick crops. Glancing behind her, she figured out that all of the trees she had come through were being cut down and that the person responsible was Lord Sesshomaru. He was behind her, cutting through trees with his claws with such ease that she feared that he might miss and cut her down too. "AH!" She shouted as the nearest tree to her was cut and crashed down in front of her. Before she could leap over its bulk, Lord Sesshomaru finally caught her. "Damn you!" She cursed at the fallen tree as she was yanked off her feet from behind._

 _"Your actions served no purpose other than to make this more difficult for yourself." Being human, Rin had nothing in her arsenal with which to fight him other than her strength of will, but when being pursued by one of the strongest demons to have ever existed, even that was lost to her. "Cease your struggling or I will force you," her demon Lord threatened in her ear._

 _She dug her nails into the flesh of his arms and kicked her bare feet back hoping to strike legs or something else that might bring Sesshomaru to his knees. Not many beings have been able to accomplish that, but Rin was endeavoring to be a part of that list. After several seconds of this, Sesshomaru acted on his threat and leaped into the air with Rin tightly wedged in his arms. She shrieked in alarm as the earth dropped beneath her feet and her body was propelled upward. Above the tree tops, she could see forest with open land on all sides, most of which she recognized and noticed that the wheat field she had spied Sesshomaru in earlier was getting closer and closer. So that was their destination, she determined._

 _With grace, they landed without a sound and Rin was released. She lurched forward out of the reach of her Lord and stumbled to right herself after their descent. Her hands met long stalks of grass, making her remember where she was and how far she had gone the first time she ran. She was busy calculating hers odds of escape in another direction when Sesshomaru read her body language. "How far do you think I will let you go before you realize that you can't outrun me?"_

 _Rin closed her eyes in resignation. "Not very, my Lord." She decided to make light of the situation. "Though I bet I could do it if I strike you in the right place."_

 _"Then by all means, give it a try."_

 _His voice was dangerously close to her ear and she whipped around to find herself level with his chest. She gulped before she dared look up into his face, and then clenched her fists at her sides to keep herself from falling because of her weakened legs. When she did look up, he was challenging her to move. His eyes were no longer glowing red, but there was obvious heat beneath molten gold. He wanted her to fight! He wanted so badly for her to come at him just so that he could take her down with little to no effort! He wanted her to throw the first punch so that he could deflect it and take her…Lord Sesshomaru wanted_ _ **her**_ _._

 _Startled by the revelation, she stepped back away from him, desperate to keep distance between them. The poison in her veins lit a fuse in her belly and she stumbled backward into the field, unsure of what to do next. Her blood boiled and her heart raced, but she couldn't let her body lose the battle. She wasn't just fighting Lord Sesshomaru. She was fighting his venom! It had weakened her at the first, but after having been chased through the forest, her blood had carried his essence to every muscle in her body and permeated her soul!_

 _Sesshomaru followed her movements like a wolf, stalking her as if she were his prey. Rin swallowed hard, fighting herself and fighting him. She didn't know which was worse, and it troubled her to know that she had no way out. She sidestepped to change direction, but he followed. She tried again for the other direction, but he still followed. This wasn't going to get her anywhere other than his arms again, and she wasn't ready for it. She had to think of something else. "Why me?" she asked, hoping for a real answer. "Why me, and why now?"_

 _Lord Sesshomaru followed her movements closely, determined to keep her near enough that he might catch her at any moment. "You already know the answer, Rin."_

 _"That's not true!" Her left heel hit a rock and she fell back into a patch of wheat grass. "I'm just a human! You can't want me this way!" She leaned back on her hands and scooted backward to put more distance between herself and Lord Sesshomaru._

 _"I believe I have already made it clear that that was not the case." He sniffed the air in her direction and dealt her another blow. "My mark has reopened at your throat."_

 _Rin's hand shot up and covered her neck where his teeth had been and pulled back. Clear as day, blood coated her hand. A deep crimson patch was beginning to soak the shoulder of her kimono and she felt sticky beneath it. "You didn't seal it," she said without thinking, annoyed by the dirty feeling of its wetness. She looked down at her right wrist and confirmed that that was the case. The bite there had been sealed properly by Sesshomaru's saliva, but she had run away before he could administer the same attention to her throat._

 _Sesshomaru dropped to his knees and reached for her before she could move back. "Come here." He didn't bother with gentleness, knowing full well that she would protest regardless. His lips were at her throat before she knew what hit her and he suckled the tender flesh until Rin writhed like a snake against him._

 _She grabbed his upper arms and dug her nails into him, knowing that no matter how hard she squeezed, he would be unaffected. He was her anchor until he let go, but he wasn't letting go any time soon. She was right where he needed her to be, beneath him and weak. It was the only way to make her feel him, the only way to make her understand. For one brief second, she moaned his name and shivered deliciously against his probing tongue, lost in him as he was in her. "Lord…Sesshomaru." She whimpered into his hair, rendered helpless by his attentions._

 _Deep in his throat, Sesshomaru let free a primal growl that vibrated through to her bones. His mouth released her throat, but not before applying a kiss across his mark in reminder that he had been there. The wound would heal, but the flesh would remember with every touch he planned to give her in the future that she belonged to him, and Rin felt her tears streak down the sides of her face._

 _Sesshomaru smelt the salt of those tears but ignored them for the present. Instead, he forced Rin to lay back into the grass, flat and open for him. She was no longer struggling, but she didn't make it easy. Her hands had come up and gripped him by the front of his kimono to keep him from doing anything further._

 _"Did you want me that bad, my Lord?" She whispered as she fixed her deep brown eyes on his. "You must know that I'm not worthy of you…" Her attempt to fight him one last time was feeble at best. "A human is never worthy of such greatness…"_

 _Sesshomaru placed his hands on either side of her against the ground, hovering above her with urgency. "You are so much more than human, Rin."_

 _"What?" Rin shook her head to clear it. "I have been and will only ever be human!" She kept his kimono in her hands, hoping to keep him from coming down on top of her._

 _"You're wrong." Sesshomaru stated, voice strained as he watched her through his demon eyes. "You have been," he started to say while he reached for her hands and pried them free of his clothing. "And always will be," he went on as he forced her hands into the grass and came within an inch of her face. "Mine!" His mouth crashed down on top of hers and devoured her voice before Rin even had the chance to protest. He broke away seconds later to speak again. "Fight this all you like, but never forget that I alone can take you thus." He kissed her fiercely, driven by the demon blood that flowed through his veins, and did so more once he realized that Rin was reciprocating in kind. Her head had lifted from the ground and was taking his mouth with as much force as he had with her._

 _Mine. That one word undid her to her very core and she wanted him to devour her, to tease her, taste her, touch her, punish and destroy every thought that kept her from letting him have her. She waited until he pulled his lips from her to give him what he wanted. "Yours." She agreed before she found her mouth taken once again, and demon hands released hers to find bits of flesh to explore and hold. One hand found the folds of her kimono and plunged beneath them to liberate one of her breasts, kneading with gentleness before taking her nipple between his thumb and middle finger. One delicate pinch made Rin's breath catch, her toes curl, and her legs clench together in agony as liquid fire pooled between her thighs. With another pinch, her back was arching off the ground and her groans were captured by Sesshomaru's mouth._

 _She tried to turn her head to break free, but was met with great resistance from the demon above her. Another pinch threatened to unhinge her and she shook beneath him, trying to turn her breast away from his hand. Rin felt his lips curl wickedly against her own, and before she knew what hit her, he tugged at and rolled her nipple, forcing her body to experience an explosion so powerful that her scream broke her connection with Sesshomaru's mouth. "Lord Sesshomaru!"_

Rin cried out so loudly that she woke herself and gripped the soaked bed sheets to keep from thrashing about. She gasped, and fought to calm her racing heart. Apparently, she had just been dreaming, but she was covered in a film of sweat, and the flesh between her thighs pulsed wickedly from a climax that she had not been prepared for. "What the—what the hell was that!?" she asked herself as she sat up and caught her head in her hands. The movement was disorienting and she felt dizzy. The blood in her body hadn't fully dispersed from her lower region yet.

She waited a few seconds before she threw her blankets back and tried to stand. From the look of the light straining through her windows, it was morning and she had chores to tend to, though she wasn't sure if she even wanted to step foot outside where the villagers could see her. If anyone was near her house, they undoubtedly heard her cry out for Lord Sesshomaru, and that alone made her face flame. The memory made her clap her hand to her mouth to keep herself from whimpering. Never, in all of the years that she had known the great demon Lord, had she _ever_ dreamed of herself in situation with him like that! What was worse, though, was that she regretted waking up! _Harlot!_ She chided herself.

How could she face him after that? How could she look Lord Sesshomaru in the face without blushing furiously, with him possibly demanding to know why? How could she face him at all?!

Rin dropped back down onto her blankets and trembled. _Aftershock_ , she concluded as she tried to settle down. Even she could pick up the scent of her arousal from the sheets. "What—in the _hell_ —was that?!" She asked again, hoping against all odds that she had an answer this time.

"That," said a deep velvet voice from behind her. "Is what I'd like to know."

 _ **Author's Note**_ _: I don't know where this story came from, but it just hit me the other day and I couldn't stop writing. It will only be 2 or 3 chapters long and I am almost finished with it. I hope you like it, but if not; to each their own._

 _ **A Cruel Twist of Fate**_ _: It's already in the process of being completed and will be updated within the next month, I hope. I cannot promise anything and let me tell you why. I'M GETTING MARRIED!_

 _If you have any questions, feel free to message me. If you want to comment, I'll appreciate the feedback. Just remember to be kind and remember that you are talking to an actual person whenever you say anything about any story you read on this website. This world is filled with too much ugliness, so please don't bring any of it here._

 _ **OliviaAR**_


	2. Claimed Part 2

" _ **Claimed"  
Part 2**_

Rin lifted her head to stare at the empty wall in front of her, feeling her insides freeze. "No." She said out loud to herself. "No, you're awake now. You are _awake_ and you are _home_. You are safe. You are alone." She swallowed hard, praying she was right. "He isn't here." The technique she was using was a coping mechanism she adopted from Kagome to break herself free from her nightmares. What harm could it do to use it on a dream that was drenched in fantasy and unexpected intimacy?

Wood floorboards creaked from behind her, indicating that she was either lying to herself, or she was losing her mind.

"You are awake." Rin's jaw dropped when reality set in and the voice inched closer. She refused to turn around. "You are indeed home, safe…but you are not alone."

Lord Sesshomaru stepped into her periphery and positioned himself before her. Master Jaken followed. The latter provided a response to her final statement. "If Lord Sesshomaru was who you meant, then he is indeed here."

Rin screwed her eyes shut and stood. Making a bow in their general direction, (increasingly aware that her lower region was slightly damp), she couldn't bring herself to look at either of the two demons standing at the center of her home. Their breathing was audible, but the creak of floor boards had subsided, which no doubt indicated that they had no intention of moving any further. Staying bent at the waist in a customary bow, she kept herself frozen. "My Lord," she acknowledged in quiet mortification. "Master Jaken."

No one else said a word. Rin bit into her bottom lip to quell the temptation to speak again, certain that she might very well damn herself further if given the opportunity.

After a good minute, Master Jaken interrupted the silence. "We, uh, had assumed that you would already be awake. You're not usually in bed so late in the morning."

Rin's eyes popped open and she turned to face the window. "It's late?"

"I'd say it's around lunch time, but the sun hasn't reached the center of the sky just yet." Jaken added.

"I guess that makes sense." Rin hunched her shoulders, feeling exhausted. "I didn't get to sleep until late this morning." She glanced over her shoulder at Jaken and half smiled. "I'll have to ask Inuyasha to help me replace the roof. The rain was so loud last night, I couldn't get to sleep."

"Mmhmm." Was all that Jaken murmured.

"Well…" she started to say, but couldn't shake the unnerving feeling that she was being watched like a hawk by a rather large dog demon Lord. "Well, I—um…I should get dressed so that I can better attend to you both. I'll just be a minute if you'd wait outside?"

Jaken nodded and proceeded to the door, but Sesshomaru stayed rooted to the spot, eyes unnecessarily fixed to the top of her head. It was becoming more and more apparent that he wanted her full attention. "My Lord, if you'd please wait outside?"

"Look at me, Rin." His voice was even, level…dangerous?

She shook her head weakly, not caring if she disobeyed him. There was something else in his voice. It frightened her, and she was too unnerved to glance up. "My Lord, if you'd please—" she tried to repeat, but he cut her off immediately.

" _Look at me."_ He commanded. Was it possible for someone to sound violent without actually being so? It was beginning to sound like Sesshomaru was fairly close to that point.

Rin ultimately refused, which prompted Master Jaken to issue a warning. "You had best do as Lord Sesshomaru commands, Rin. He'll not say it again." He sounded almost as unnerved as she felt, which made the situation worse.

She heard rather than saw Sesshomaru take a step in her direction. Everything in her screamed to do as they said, but she couldn't get herself to listen. Instead, she searched for a way out and decided that she might make it outside if she ran before Sesshomaru could actually reach her. Jumping over Jaken wasn't a huge task since he was only three feet tall, but she was more concerned with Sesshomaru's speed. He might be surprised by her flight, but he'd never let her get far enough to leave. The more she thought, the more she discovered that the scenario playing out in her mind would more than likely _not_ end in her favor. There was no choice. She _had_ to face him.

Without taking time to prepare herself for what she might see, Rin lifted her head and looked up into Sesshomaru's face. It was only for a second before she felt the pull of embarrassment weaken her legs. She dropped her gaze to his chest.

What she had seen was enough to burn her deeply, and nothing could compel her to maintain his gaze. Sesshomaru's eyes usually stayed the color of honey, or gold, but all Rin saw was molten amber, warning her that he was a greater threat than she had originally anticipated. She had to get out. How was she going to do that without causing pandemonium?

"You cried out for me."

Rin bowed her head and looked at the floor, face flaming with humiliation. "Well, I—yes, I did." Of course he had heard it. Who hadn't?

Jaken cleared his throat from somewhere behind them. "We thought you had been injured, so we came running…"

Rin's bottom lip quivered and her body went rigid with anxiety. "What…what else did you hear?"

Jaken answered yet again. "At first we thought you were having a nightmare, but we heard you calling out to Lord Sesshomaru quite a few times…" Jaken sounded just as embarrassed as Rin felt. "Before you finally woke up, you started squirming like you were in pain, but your scent changed…"

"Please don't—!" Rin started to tell him to stop talking but Jaken's mouth condemned her further.

"That was when you started screaming for him, but by then, I think we were both pretty sure you were not having a _nightmare_." Jaken's face was now redder than hers. Rin wanted to knock him flat out but held back the impulse. She couldn't even convince herself to control her lungs, let alone muster up the courage to slug a demon toad.

Rin pulled in a mouthful of warm air. Despite the chill of the air outside and lack of fire inside, the atmosphere inside of her house was heating up rather uncomfortably. "I can't breathe very well." Thinking fast, several scenarios could be reached to get her out of there, but only one seemed good enough to try. She put a hand to her forehead, feigning dizziness. "I need to go outside for a minute, my Lord. Excuse me."

She made it two steps before her elbow was snatched in a grip stronger than iron. Startled, she let out a gasp and pulled against her captor just when Sesshomaru's voice spoke over her shoulder at the doorway. " _Leave us,_ " he commanded Jaken.

The toad demon looked from Rin to his Lord before nodding and reluctantly walked out the door, leaving them alone to sort out the business at hand.

Rin looked at her front door, agonizing about whether or not she should call out for help, when Sesshomaru's grip on her tightened, forcing at whimper from deep in her belly. "My Lord, please let me expla—ah!" she breathed in sharply as his hand clenched. "My Lord!" She felt a firm tug and her body fell back, knocking into her demon Lord's chest plate. "No!"

" _Your scent is everywhere,"_ he accused. Sesshomaru's voice sounded venomous. His free hand grabbed her by the chin and yanked her up to face him, but she screwed her eyes shut. " _You will look at me when I am talking to you. I will not tolerate otherwise."_

Rin shook her head. "I won't!" She peeked through her eyelids and saw nothing but the white of his clothing. Clenching them shut again, all she did was listen.

" _Are_ _you truly daring to defy me?"_

Her act of disobedience was more of a shock to Rin than to Sesshomaru. Usually, she did everything he asked without fail or question, but nothing could make her do what he wished now. "Please…let me explain…"

Sesshomaru pulled against her resisting chin and waited until she took the chance to peek through her lids a second time. The first glimpse of gold paralyzed her. " _Tell me what you dreamt,"_ he demanded without hesitation.

Rin forced open her eyes and looked at him dead on. What was she going to say? How could she possibly describe it? There was no justification for where her imagination took her in sleep, so why did she feel so guilty for what she had dreamt? There was no way that Sesshomaru wasn't aware of the nature of her dream. Even she could pick up the scent of her experience from her sheets and clothing. "I…" What would he do if she told him? Would he get angry and leave, never to return again? Would he kill her for even dreaming that something so disgusting could happen? Would he punish her with abandonment and keep her at a distance for the rest of her life?

It hadn't been her first experience with those kinds of thoughts, but it was the first time she had imagined Sesshomaru in _that_ way. If she was going to be honest with him, she had to be honest with herself first, and right now, she wanted very much to experience what her mind had conjured up in her dreams. However, she was also of the same mind that being human was her greatest disadvantage… _I'm not worthy of him,_ she reminded herself.

" _Tell me."_

The heat of developing tears prickled at the corners of her eyes. "I—I…" Fear of losing him based on something so ridiculous rendered her speechless for a minute, but after swallowing a lump that been forming in her throat over the last few seconds, she finally gave up. " _Oh, my Lord…I think you already know the nature of the dream I had."_ Her skin grew hot with pent up emotion and wet globs of moisture slid down her cheeks. Some fell to the ground while others curved and pooled between the crevice of Sesshomaru's fingers and her cheek. "I'm so sorry!" She sniffed quickly, trying desperately to control them, but the tears kept rolling. "Please forgive me! It was unintentional, and it's never happened before!"

Sesshomaru said nothing, but held firm on her lower jaw, forcing her to remain still.

Rin shook under his scrutiny and shielded her eyes from his once more, unable to maintain eye contact. He had been watching her closely, calculating the information she had supplied him with, while unable do much with it. She hadn't really answered him, but there was no point in denying that he was already aware of the scandalous nature of her dreams. "Please…say something."

"Did I hurt you?"

Startled, Rin looked back up. "What?!" Sesshomaru wasn't angry, but he looked as though he were straining against something. His eyes were pained, wary. He was watching her closely still, almost...concerned? "No! No, you didn't! You—you only… _bit me_."

"Bit?" Confusion. "I bit you?"

Rin nodded. The way he sounded made her fear that something was causing Sesshomaru pain instead of the other way around. Relaxing her body, she tilted her head to the side to study him. This was unexpected. "You were…" she bit her lip, hesitant to reveal too much. "You were laying claim onme."

A moment of dead silence and the demon's face transitioned into a look that seemed quite sinister. " _Was I?"_

The grip on her arm tightened, reminding her that she was still close to danger and the harsh lowering of Sesshomaru's voice added to her fear. He no longer sounded pained.

Sesshomaru towered above her, using his height as the perfect advantage for intimidation. " _And who led you to believe that that was how it was done?"_

Rin gulped loudly. "Well—Kagome said that Inuyasha had done something like that to her after she came back." Her skin tingled alarmingly under the touch of his hands. Sesshomaru had still maintained a grip on her chin. "I didn't know if all demons did so, or if it was just something that only _he_ did…or if you could too."

He nodded. "All demons have the ability." Looking off to the side, he thought quietly before adding, "But not all humans live through it."

"Inuyasha didn't hurt Kagome." Rin argued, unsure why revealing the information mattered.

Sesshomaru shot her a glance that made her regret opening her big mouth. The whites of his eyes were glowing faintly, soft pink, orange, and finally, crimson. His demon nature seemed to be remarkably fragile with her. " _Are you looking to understand what it feels like?"_ He tugged on her elbow to bring her closer, flattening her body against him.

The sudden nearness ignited a loud gasp. Rin's heart hammered wildly against the inside of her ribs, and her mouth hung open. Her free hand hit him flat on his shoulder while he forced her chin upward toward his face. Even through his armor, she noticed the deep vibration of a suppressed growl.

" _Do you wish to understand what it means to be bitten by a demon? What it feels like to be claimed?"_ His claws pressed into the flesh of her arm, inflicting miniscule cuts without care if it hurt her. She had to understand. " _I have never done so before, but it would be so easy for me to take your freedom from you."_

Rin frantically searched his face for any sign of sense. This wasn't like him! He'd never hurt her, not on purpose! He despised humans! ALL humans! The only reason she was an exception was because she hadn't given him much of a choice those many years ago. He really only just tolerated her. But with the way he was acting now, this was something way too far out of his usual manner!

Rin's eyes widened considerably, coming to the conclusion that Sesshomaru might actually be serious! Instead of waiting to find out, she shook her head frantically and tugged with all of her strength to yank herself out of his reach. The hand that held onto her felt like a rock that wouldn't budge. "Lord Sesshomaru, stop it!" She made a grab at his claws to unhook them from her now bleeding skin, but it wasn't working. "You can't!"

Sesshomaru growled deep in his throat. " _I can,"_ he snarled while bearing his fangs. " _You couldn't stop me from doing so if it was what I wanted."_ He closed his mouth, clenching teeth to calm himself before he went too far and scared her to death. " _But I won't."_

It took a minute for Rin to cease her struggling and then she stared at him. "What? You won't?"

" _No."_

It was the oddest sensation, but she felt wounded by his words. "But—"

Sesshomaru released her chin but didn't step away from her, didn't release her arm, but stared down with eyes now the shade of pink. He even loosened his claws from her now bleeding elbow, allowing light drops of blood to pearl beneath the pads of his fingertips. "Rin, how long have you had these thoughts?" His voice had returned to its usual tone, surprising her further.

She scrunched her eyebrows together in confusion. "These thoughts?" She echoed.

"Was this something that you wanted?" He inquired softly. The bright blush of her cheeks answered for her and he tilted his head, scrutinizing her face. After some consideration, he felt himself become rather curious. "Tell me what you dreamed."

Rin held his gaze for a minute before she lowered her head to face the floor. "I never gave myself the chance to even entertain the idea that you would have that kind of interest in someone like me." She shrugged her shoulders, feeling defeated. "I've never dreamed of you like that before…so close, so…intimately."

The demon Lord quirked an eyebrow. "You never thought to express those desires in the past?"

Rin laughed weakly, not really amused by the question, but anxious to reach a conclusion. "Your dislike for humans is well known, my Lord." She peeked up at him through the curtain of her hair, cautious and unsure of what to do next.

Sesshomaru squeezed her arm a bit harder, making her wince, but made sure that his claws were no longer able to dig into her flesh. "Have I ever once told you that I disliked you?"

Again, Rin answered cautiously, "Actions speak louder than words, Lord Sesshomaru."

Sesshomaru wondered what the best course of action should be to handle the nature of this exchange. " _Indeed, they do,_ " he spoke deeply as he studied her closely.

Before Rin knew what hit her, Sesshomaru's hand grabbed the underside of her chin and yanked her bodily upward. Mid yelp, Rin's mouth was silenced by a kiss so unexpected that she froze in place and stared wildly up at the ceiling. Sesshomaru's lips didn't move until he felt her relax against him, and then he tilted her head back to receive his kiss more openly.

Her heart had stopped for a good second; jump started, stopped, and finally resumed a rhythm that beat painfully against the inside of her rib cage. Her hands shook, unable to acclimate to the suddenness of his assault, but she grabbed fistfuls of his kimono for support. Unfortunately, there was nothing she could do to anchor what, to her, felt like sea legs, and after a while, her knees just gave out. Collapsing under her own weight, Rin shivered when Sesshomaru let go of her face and wrapped an arm around her back to keep her upright. The heat of him enveloped her, blinded her to their surroundings and kept her lost within the sensation of being overtaken.

His taste was nothing like her dreams. Instead of the flavor of blood and venom she had so easily imagined, Sesshomaru was actually sweet, like berries and herbs spiced with mint and honey. His lips were soft like pillows, but firm and demanding as he dipped his tongue between her parted lips to taste hers.

The flesh of her arms rippled with goose bumps, and a delicious tremor shot through her limbs and down her spine, puckering her nipples and forcing her toes to curl against the floor. A soft whimper, almost like the sound of a kitten purring, spurred Sesshomaru on and inspired him to let go of her wrist. He moved his hand up and cupped the nap of her neck to draw her closer. His mouth controlled hers expertly, teasingly, and he waited until she reciprocated to seek out other ways to touch her.

Three pairs of eyes peeked through the cracks in Rin's front door.

…..

While the events were taking place inside, Kagome and Inuyasha had come running from across the village to inspect why Rin had shouted. Kagome had been with Kaede, assisting with the care of a sick child when Inuyasha burst through the door claiming that Rin was in trouble. He had been with Miroku when he first caught wind of Rin's cries. He had left the monk to fend for himself in the wood cutting to reach his destination, nearly mowing down several villagers in the process.

What could be wrong?! Rin rarely needed help with anything and she almost never shouted. She was actually a pretty tough woman to bring down. There was one incident that Inuyasha remembered that proved just how strong she really was. Not only had Rin stepped in front of Kagome like a human shield during the incident with a possessed Takemaru and the demon sword, So'unga, but she did so when she was just eight years old! She even defended and _prevented_ the death of Sango's brother Kohaku from the hands of Inuyasha's half brother, Sesshomaru, forgiving Kohaku for attempting to kill her under Naraku's orders. Not only that, but she had died on no less than two separate occasions, both times due to her loyalty to Sesshomaru. Rin was a warrior in Inuyasha's eyes, but still very much like the little sister he never had, and he was ready to protect her to the death if he had to.

By the time he and Kagome had reached the road that led to Rin's house, Inuyasha had picked up a mix of very different scents and stopped dead in surprise. His arm darted out to stop Kagome from running past him while he sniffed again, this time critical of the smells he was catching. _Sesshomaru,_ he realized. _And Jaken._ He sniffed once more, unsure of something. It was Rin's scent he had picked up, but something was different about it. There was her usual feminine aromas, but she smelled somewhat anxious and maybe even a little scared, and—.

Inuyasha's mouth dropped open and his face burned uncomfortably.

"Inuyasha, what is it?!" Kagome demanded, sounding irritable and concerned at the same time. "Do you smell blood? Is she dead? Is she hurt? Answer me!" She tried shoving his arm away to get by, but he wouldn't let her.

Inuyasha had to think before he said anything. He wasn't about to risk pissing his wife off, but he couldn't quite put together the words to describe what it was that he had picked up from the air. It wasn't like he had never smelled this type of scent before. There were plenty of women in the village that smelled like that from time to time, his wife included, but it didn't make it any easier when he considered the source. Yes, Rin was also guilty of smelling like she… _wanted_ to engage in…certain types of activities, but Inuyasha was not the type of demon to go around pointing out that he was more than capable of noticing. His nose could very easily get him in trouble if he was the type of person to be honest all the time. It was best to keep his abilities to himself.

However, Kagome was getting ready to blow.

Inuyasha swallowed before revealing the delicate nature of what was going on. "Um…Kagome—let's just say that she's not in any kind of trouble." _I hope,_ he thought worriedly.

Kagome lifted an eyebrow at him before she glared. "Are you _serious?_ " She stomped her foot in agitation. "I was in the middle of administering medicine to a sick _child_! You had me believing that Rin was in trouble!"

Inuyasha grit his teeth. "I thought she was!" He pointed in the direction of Rin's house. "Sesshomaru and Jaken are here."

"That doesn't mean she's in any type of danger!" Kagome stomped her foot again, narrowly missing Inuyasha's toes. "Geez, Inuyasha!" She huffed angrily before turning on her heels. "I'm going back to help Kaede."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and glanced back toward Rin's front door. He blinked in surprise when he saw Jaken standing just outside it. Where was Sesshomaru? Sniffing again, he caught another scent. Once again, his jaw dropped. "Hey Kagome, come back! Rin may need your help more than Kaede!" He was already moving down the path when Kagome jogged up to his side.

"What now?" She inquired irritably.

Inuyasha lowered his voice to a whisper so that Jaken wouldn't pick it up. " _I can sense Sesshomaru's other form!"_

"What?!" Kagome was already running before Inuyasha could elaborate and had to leap forward to catch up. "Why would he transform here?"

They didn't stop until they reached the very concerned looking imp demon. Jaken's face was almost as red as Inuyasha's. _So he knows what's going on too,_ Inuyasha realized. "Jaken, what—?"

" _Keep quiet, you fool!"_ Jaken whispered furiously. " _Or else Lord Sesshomaru will kill us all!"_

Kagome huffed angrily. " _Will one of you PLEASE tell me what's going on?!"_ She watched Jaken and Inuyasha exchange knowing glances. " _I am about to bust through that door, if one of you doesn't start explaining!"_

Terror stricken, Jaken leapt forward to block her way. " _You mustn't do that!"_

Inuyasha stepped between them and turned to face her. _"Kagome, Rin's not in danger…so to speak."_ He struggled to find the right way to let her know what was going on, but it was such an awkward situation that he didn't think there _was_ a good way to explain. " _I think that she's—how should I say this without getting slapped?_ " He cleared his throat and prayed to the gods for courage. _"She's…excited."_

Not understanding, Kagome gritted her teeth and repeated, " _Excited?"_ She rolled her eyes. " _Well, I don't exactly hear her jumping for joy!"_

Inuyasha looked at her incredulously. Kagome wasn't the type of person to be this dense. _"Damn it, woman! She's excited! Like…in heat, excited!"_

There was the click of understanding. Kagome's face transformed to a whole new expression that was almost comical. She started to match the two demons in color, all now equally pink with embarrassment and thoroughly unable to look at each other. "Oh…" She thought for a moment, unsure of where to go from there. " _Well, all women get that way, you know! It's not exactly a reason to get so worked up!"_ And then she froze. " _Wait, didn't you say that Sesshomaru was—?"_

Inuyasha and Jaken nodded in tandem.

Kagome's eyes widened. She rounded on Jaken. " _Hasn't Sesshomaru ever been around her when she's like that?"_

" _Yes, of course he has!_ " Jaken glared at her. " _But this is the first time that…"_ For some reason, he couldn't finish.

Kagome blinked in realization. Just then, a bright smile dawned on her lips, startling the two demons. " _Are you trying to tell me that you two weren't aware of her feelings for him?"_

"HUH?!" Inuyasha and Jaken expressed mutual surprise.

Kagome was grinning by this point. "Oh, how exciting! Is she telling him about her feelings for him now?" Too excited to whisper, she started dancing from one foot to the other.

Jaken watched her like she had just grown a second head. "Uh…not exactly."

"What exactly?"

Jaken hunched his shoulders slightly. "Lord Sesshomaru and I had just arrived in the village a few minutes ago and we heard Rin call out for him."

Kagome was trying her best not to squeal in delight.

Jaken looked from her to Inuyasha is an effort to understand this woman's puzzling behavior. "When we heard it, we thought she was in danger, or hurt, so we came to see what was wrong." This is where the color in his face deepened, causing his green skin to resemble the color mud. Explaining this again had to be terrible for his blood pressure. "She was asleep and calling for him. She woke up in the process of crying his name while she was in the middle of—" He just couldn't keep going. It was too much to think about.

With dark eyes going wide, Kagome didn't need him to finish. She knew perfectly well what it that he was too embarrassed to say, and it made her equally so. "Oh."

"Uh huh."

"Well, then." What else could she say? It wasn't like she hadn't been in the throes of that kind of passion before, being a married/mated woman, but she supposed it was a different kind of experience when the person you were imagining had no clue that you had those types of feelings. It must have been a huge shock for Sesshomaru to learn about it in the way he had. "Well, um…how did Sesshomaru take it?"

Jaken looked scandalized. "What do you mean 'how did he take it?'" He slapped a three fingered hand to forehead and shook to cleanse his brain of thoughts not meant for _his_ mind. "I've never seen him look at her like that before, let me tell you!" He trembled nervously. "Lord Sesshomaru told me to leave, but part of me wishes I hadn't because I thought for certain he was going to snap!" Looking at the ground, he appeared very troubled indeed. "Oh, Rin…"

Kagome's hand came up to cover her open mouth. "He…Sesshomaru has never laid a hand on her," she reminded the two demons in front of her. "Angry or not, he'd do anything to _keep_ her from getting hurt, even by _him!_ " She looked from uncertain face to uncertain face. "Right?!"

Jaken nodded solemnly. "Well…that's _usually_ the case." He looked to Inuyasha for some form of assistance.

Kagome looked toward Inuyasha as well, but he was having difficulty looking her in the face. "Usually?"

Inuyasha breathed in deep and released it after a few seconds and then finally met her eye. "I'm going to have to ask that you not panic after I tell you this because it isn't as bad as it seems. Okay?"

Kagome narrowed her gaze in suspicion, but she nodded in agreement.

"Alright." He didn't really trust her, but what other choice did he have? "If I'm right about what I can smell, Rin is bleeding, but—NOT like that!" He watched Kagome pull away from him in horror. "It's NOT monthly related! But she _is_ bleeding. She's been wounded…"

"Why, that little bast—!" She nearly made it through the barricade of demons before Jaken slammed his Staff of Two Heads into the earth in front of her to keep her back. Inuyasha followed by example and threw his arm out to wrap Kagome in it. "I'll kill him, myself!"

"Hush, woman!" Jaken demanded fearfully. He didn't like how loud she was getting, or how upset she was becoming.

"What is he doing to her?!" Kagome demanded back. She rounded on Jaken, completely ignoring the staff being shoved into her face. "We have to stop him!"

Inuyasha fought to keep her back. Being a half demon had its advantages, but he was also half human, which meant _half_ demon strength, not to mention the fact that he was going up against a pretty powerful Priestess. This, therefore, could be considered a battle of equals, which made Kagome quite the formidable foe. He'd have to remember to use that information for the next time he pissed her off, serving it as a compliment and possibly earning him a reprieve from whatever horrible crime he'd commit against her next.

"What do you think you're doing? He's hurting her in there!"

"Just trust me, Kagome! It's not a lot of blood, and it's just Sesshomaru!"

"Just Sesshoma—? Are you both _insane?!_ "

Exasperated, Jaken hung his head. "I'm beginning to wonder about that, myself," he murmured.

"Inuyasha, if she's been injured, I _need to see it!"_

"No, you _don't_ need to see it! I can _smell it_ , and she smells _fine!_ " Inuyasha was utilizing all of the strength he had to keep Kagome's feet from touching the earth. He knew that if she reached the ground, they were all dead.

Jaken was too busy looking back over his shoulder from the doorway he had come through a few moments before, thinking about something, to notice what Kagome and Inuyasha were doing. _Hmm,_ he hummed as a solution came to him. "Hey!" He returned his attention to the warring duo and cocked his head to the side in bewilderment at the sight. Apparently, Kagome had managed to slip her arms around Inuyasha's neck and was in the midst of administering a head lock when the pair looked up from their struggles.

"WHAT?!" Both voices combined in a rather rude sounding demand, making Jaken feel like he was an unwelcome voyeur who had stumbled upon them during…well… _you know!_ The other sounds he had heard, before having interrupted them, could have easily been mistaken for, _you_ _know_ , if one could not see them.

Jaken cleared his throat cautiously. "There's a few cracks in the door, you know." He thrust a thumb in the direction of Rin's front door. "If we're really quiet, we might be able to hear what's going on, or…maybe even _see_ what's going on. Just a thought."

After some quick maneuvering, Kagome and Inuyasha untangled themselves while muttering apologies to one another, and then looked to Jaken with embarrassment and guilt at having been so overly dramatic. "Good idea…" Kagome said while Inuyasha nodded his agreement.

All three parties rounded on tip-toe toward Rin's house and each individual located a few small cracks that were just barely big enough to see through. Crouching to their comfort levels, each person peered inside.

All three jaws dropped.

 _ **Author's Note:**_ _You guys are very sweet with your comments, and thank you very much for the congratulations on my upcoming nuptials. There is just so much to do, it's never ending! Lucky for me, I have a wonderful fiancée who doesn't judge me about my guilty pleasure (fan-fiction). He's been my biggest supporter, and I love him dearly! (He used to write too, but after several attempts, he'd rather just stick to playing Magic the Gathering). Love you, Ian!_

 _I'd like to express my gratitude to all of those readers of my previous stories. Thank you for sticking with me! I am deeply honored!_

 _I'd also like to welcome all of the newcomers to my stories! Thank you very much for giving this fan-fic a few moments of your time. I'm so glad I was able to write something that you all found intriguing and/or enjoyable!_

 _Once again, feel free to send me a message if you having any questions. If you'd like to leave a review, please endeavor to be kind. There is still too much ugliness in this world and there is no need to display it here._

 _Thank you, guys!_

 _ **OliviaAR**_


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